Pivoted bracket



April 8, 1969 H. J. MILAN ET AL 3,437,300

' PIVOTED BRACKET OriginalFiled Aug. 25, 1966 Sheet of 3 Fig.2.

s I as Q Q s2 INVENTOR.

Henry J. Milan .5 William G. Hauser in BY ATTORNEY H. J. MILAN ET AL April 8, 1969 PIVOTED BRACKET Sheet ,6 Of3 Original Filed Au 25. 1966 INVENTOR. Henry J Milan William G. Hauser BY walk a -r TTORNE Y Original Filed Aug. 25. 1966 Sheet 3 0 April 8, 1969 H. J. MILAN ET AL 3,437,300

PIVOTED BRACKET INVENTOR. Henry J. Milan BY William G. Hauser TORNE Y United States Patent C) 3,437,300 PIVOTED BRACKET Henry J. Milan, Clark, and William G. Hauser, Fanwood, N.J., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Original application Aug. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 575,064, now Patent No. 3,407,014, dated Oct. 22, 1968. Divided and this application Feb. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 714,150

Int. Cl. Db 75/06 US. Cl. 248291 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cabinet for a sewing machine having a folding treadle mechanism comprising a treadle support pivotally carried by a band wheel support and a bracket secured to the cabinet provided with hook means for receiving and supporting the band wheel support and the treadle support when they are folded together. The bracket is constructed and arranged to be pivoted upwardly into a recess formed in the bottom of the cabinet thereby removably mounting the band wheel and the treadle support in stored position.

RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of application Ser. No. 575,064, filed on Aug. 25, 1966, and entitled, Cabinets and Disappearing Treadle Mechanism for Sewing Machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to cabinets and disappearing treadle mechanisms for sewing machines and more particularly to means for removably mounting a foldable treadle mechanism in a sewing machine cabinet in both an unfolded operating position and in a folded and concealed nonoperating position.

Description of the prior art Only three types of furniture are now being manufactured for treadle-driven sewing machines. The three types are: (1) a table, (2) a box-shaped cabinet, and (3) a table having a compartment at one side which houses a band wheel and a treadle when the treadle is folded up into a vertical position against the band wheel. The treadle mechanism is inherently unsightly. No matter how well designed, one cannot hide the fact that it is machinery. Thus, an unconcealed treadle mechanism is incompatible with modern furnishings. Of the aforementioned three types of furniture now being manufactured for treadledriven sewing machines, it is impossible to conceal a treadle mechanism in a table. A treadle mechanism can be concealed in a box-shaped cabinet or a table having a compartment at one side. However, like a table, a boxshaped cabinet and a table having a compartment at one side are inherently not complementary with modern furnishings. Most likely, the sewing machine will be hidden away in a spare room to be laboriously dragged out only when most urgently desired for use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a cabinet for a treadle-driven sewing machine in which the cabinet is complementary with modern furnishings and in which the treadle mechanism can be concealed when in a nonoperating position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cabinet for a treadle-driven sewing machine in accordance with the foregoing object in which the cabinet resembles a cabinet for an electrically driven sewing machine.

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Another object of the invention is to provide a means for mounting a foldable treadle mechanism in a sewing machine cabinet in both an unfolded operating position and in a folded and concealed nonoperating position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for mounting a foldable treadle mechanism in a sewing machine cabinet in accordance with the foregoing object in which the treadle mechanism is readily removable from the cabinet.

The objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a drop head cabinet having an enclosed portion which is supported table-like by a support structure. The enclosed portion of the cabinet has a recess in the bottom. The support structure may include legs at each end of the enclosed portion of the cabinet. The front of the enclosed portion of the cabinet may be formed from four substantially rectangular wooden panels which abut each other with their grains oriented in a complementary pattern. The front of the enclosed portion of the cabinet can be swung open degrees in a conventional manner to support a leaf when the leaf is unfolded 180 degrees from the top of the cabinet.

The treadle mechanism includes a treadle and support which can be folded clockwise, as viewed from the front of the cabinet, upwardly into a vertical position against a band wheel and support. The foregoing folded treadle mechanism can in turn be folded clockwise upwardly into a horizontal position in the recess in the bottom of the enclosed portion of the cabinet, or removed from the cabinet and stored in some other place. The invention particularly includes means for pivotally and removably mounting the band wheel support on the cabinet and means for supporting the free end of the folded treadle mechanism in the recess in the bottom of the enclosed portion of the cabinet.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sewing machine and cabinet incorporating a disappearing treadle mechanism of the invention shown in operating position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the sewing machine, the cabinet, and the disappearing treadle mechanism of FIG. 1 shown in nonoperating position;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view partially exploded of the disappearing treadle mechanism of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the means for removably attaching it to the cabinet; and

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the disappearing treadle mechanism folded for storage in a closet, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawings, the invention includes a drop head cabinet indicated generally at 10, a sewing machine 11 mounted on the cabinet, and a treadle mechanism indicated generally at 12. The foregoing three components will be described structurally while they are primarily in operating position.

The cabinet 10 includes an enclosed portion 13 and a support structure 15. The support structure includes legs 16 which support the enclosed portion of the cabinet.

The enclosed portion 13 of the cabinet includes a top 17, a rear wall 18, side walls 20 and 21, a truncated front wall 22, and a door 23 on the front of the enclosed portion. Together, the foregoing six components enclose the enclosed portion of the cabinet while leaving a recess 25 in the bottom of the enclosed portion. The door is connected to the front end of the left side wall 20 by a vertical hinge 26 which is secured to the door and the side wall by screws 27. When opened 180 degrees, the door supports a leaf 28 which is connected to the top 17 of the cabinet by a horizontal hinge 29. The horizontal hinge is secured to the leaf and the top of the cabinet by screws 32. Covering the front of the door are four panels 33, the grains of which are oriented to form a complementary design. A knob 34 is centered on the front of the door.

A partition 35 is mounted inside the enclosed portion 13 of the cabinet to separate the recess 25 in the bottom of the enclosed portion from the sewing machine when the sewing machine is dropped down into the enclosed portion in a conventional manner. The sewing machine is also connected to the top 17 of the cabinet in a conventional manner. Included on the sewing machine is a handwheel 37 having a V-groove 38 for a V-belt 39.

The treadle mechanism 12 includes a treadle 40, a treadle support indicated generally at 42, a band wheel 43, and a band wheel support indicated generally at 44.

The band wheel support 44 includes an inverted U- shaped tubular structure 45 having a top crossbar 46 and a pair of arms 47 and 50. The bottom portions 51 and 52 of the arms 47 and 50, respectively, are curved upwardly 180 degrees into a plane offset toward the treadle 40 and parallel to the plane of the U-shaped tubular structure 45. A cover 53 having notches 54 houses the upturned portions of the arms. The cover is connected to the upturned portions 51 and 52 of the arms by a hinge pin 55 which spans the upturned portions of the arms and is threaded at each end to receive hexagonal nuts 56. Mounted on the top rear of the top crossbar 46 of the U-staped tubular structure by a pair of screws 57 is a bracket 58 with an extension 59. A clamp 61 is connected to the extension by a screw 62. The clamp grasps the treadle support when the treadle support 42 is folded against the band wheel support 44. Also included on the bracket is a lateral extension 63 having a slot 64 which is a belt guide. At an intermedate portion of the U-shaped tubular structure 45, horizontal tubular crossbars 65 and 66 extend from the arms 47 and 50, respectively, to suspend a horizontal sleeve 67 midway between the arms. An axle 69 is journaled in the sleeve.

The band wheel 43 has a hub 70 with a bore 71 by which it is mounted on the axle 69. The band wheel is locked on the axle by a setscrew 72. Fomed in the circumference of the band wheel is a V-groove 73 which receives the V-belt 39 from the sewing machine. An eccentric hub 74 is mounted on the band wheel with a bore 76 parallel to the bore in the hub 70. Mounted in the bore in the eccentric hub 74 is a crankpin 77.

The treadle support 42 includes a U-shaped tubular structure 78 with the end portions 79 and 80 of the arms 83 and 84, respectively, bent upwardly degrees substantially perpendicular to the plane of the U-shaped tubular structure 78. Bores 85 and 86 are formed in the upturned portions 79 and 80, respectively, of the arms to pivotally mount the treadle support 42 on the hinge pin 55 which spans the upturned portions 51 and 52 of the arms of the band wheel support 44. The notches 54 in the cover 53 which houses the upturned portions 50 and 5]. of the arms 47 and 50 respectively, of the band wheel support 44 provide clearance for the upturned portions 79 and 80 of the arms '83 and 84, respectively, of the treadle support when the treadle support 42 is folded against the band wheel support. The treadle support 42 is supported by four grommets 88 on the undersides of the arms 83 and 84 of the U-shaped tubular structure. Mounted on the top of the front arm 83 of the U-shaped tubular structure are a pair of opposed brackets 89 and 90. The brackets support opposed trunnions 92 and 94, respectively, which are threaded so as to be held on the brackets by nuts 95 and 96, respectively, connected to the brackets.

The treadle 40 has end plates 97 and 99' connected to each end by screws 100 and 101, respectively. The end plates have bores 102 and 103, respectively, by which the treadle is pivotally mounted on the trunnions 92 and 94, respectively, of the treadle support 42. At the right rear of the treadle is a bracket 104 which is connected to the treadle by screws 106. The bracket has an upwardly projecting car 107 with a bore 108 in which is journaled a bifurcated swivel 109. Pivotaly held between the arms 111 and 112 of the bifurcated swivel by a pivot screw 113 is a connecting rod 114. The connecting rod has a strap 116 at the other end which embraces the crankpin 77 on the band wheel 43 to transform rocking motion of the treadle into rotary motion of the band wheel.

In order to removably and pivotally mount the treadle mechanism 12 on the cabinet 10, a mounting bracket 119 is connected to the inside of the right side wall 21 by screws 120. The mounting bracket is formed from sheet metal With a pair of integral lugs 121 and 123, an integral shelf 124, a pair of integral ears 125 and 126, and an integral projection 128. The lugs have notches in their tops which serve as hooks 129 and 130, respectively. The top crossbar 46 of the band wheel support 44 is held by the hooks 129 and 130 to suspend the band wheel support from the mounting bracket 119. The band Wheel support is removably held on the hooks by a latch 131 which is pivotally mounted on the shelf 124 by a screw 132. The latch has an integral upwardly projecting handle 136 which is formed by twisting the end of the latch 90 degrees and bending it upwardly 90 degrees.

In order to guide the band wheel support 44 and maintain it in a vertical position, a U-shaped guide member or hanger 137 is pivotally connected to the ears 125 and 126 by screws 138. Integral tabs or stops 140 (of which only one is shown) on the ears, prevent the hanger from pivoting beyond a substantially vertical position. Notches 141 and 143 are formed in the hanger to seat the intermediate tubular crossbars 65 and 66, respectively, of the band wheel support 44. A retainer spring 144 is connected to the hanger by a screw 145 and held against rotation by a bent end portion 146 which seats in an anchor hole 147 in the hanger. The free end portion 149 of the retainer spring 144 hooks under the rear intermediate crossbar 66 of the band wheel support to provide a sliding means for retaining the hanger 137 with the band wheel support when the band wheel support is pivoted on the hooks 129 and 130. A hole 150 in the hanger and a small protuberance 151 on the integral projection 128 on the mounting bracket 119 retain the hanger when the hanger is pivoted substantially 180 degrees upwardly into a storage position, for instance when the treadle mechanism 12 is not mounted on the cabinet 10.

In order to support the free end of the treadle mechanism 12 when the treadle mechanism is folded upwardly into the recess 25 in the bottom of the enclosed portion 13 of the cabinet, an L-shaped supporting bracket 153 is connected to the inside of the left side wall 20 by a pair of screws 154. A latch 157 is pivotally connected to the supporting bracket by a shoulder screw 158 with a bore 159 in the latch journaled on the shoulder 160 of the shoulder screw. An integral tab or stop 161 in the supporting bracket prevents the latch from moving beyond a latched position. A torsion spring 162 is mounted on the shoulder screw 158 with one end portion 163 held in an anchor hole 164 in the supporting bracket and the other end portion 166 held in a notch 167 in the side of the latch to bias the latch in the latched position. The latch has a hook 168 which hooks under the rear arm 50 of the U-shaped tubular structure 45 of the band wheel support 44 when the treadle mechanism 12 is folded upwardly into the recess 25 in the bottom of the enclosed portion 13 of the cabinet. A horizontal handle 169 projects from the latch 157.

In operation, when it is desired to conceal the treadle mechanism 12 in nonoperating position, the treadle 40 and support 42 are folded clockwise upwardly against the band wheel 43 and support 44. The foregoing folded treadle mechanism is then in turn folded clockwise upwardly into a horizontal position in the recess 25 in the bottom of the enclosed portion 13 of the cabinet 10 to be held there by the hook 168 on the pivoted latch 157 of the supporting bracket 153. When the door 23 is closed after the sewing machine has been dropped down into the enclosed portion 13 of the cabinet and the leaf 28 has been folded back 180 degrees onto the top 17 of the cabinet, the treadle mechanism '12 is completely hidden from view, and the cabinet 10 resembles any other piece of fine furniture.

If it is desired to remove the folded treadle mechanism 12 from the cabinet 10 and store it in some other place, all that has to be done is to pivotally release the latch 131 on the mounting bracket 119 and lift the treadle mechanism from the hooks 129 and 130 on the mounting bracket.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be restorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. A mounting bracket for a band wheel support of a sewing machine treadle mechanism having means on the band wheel support for mounting the band wheel support, said mounting bracket comprising hook means projecting from the mounting bracket for supporting the band wheel support by the means on the band wheel support for mounting the band wheel support, second means projecting from the bracket, pivot means on the second means, a latch connected to the pivot means on the second means for removably retaining the band wheel support on the hook means, third means projecting from the mounting bracket, pivot means on the third means and a guide member connected to the pivot means on the third means for maintaining the band wheel support in a substantially vertical position when the band wheel support is pivoted into operating position on the hook means.

2. The mounting bracket of claim 1 which includes retainer means for entraining the guide member with the band wheel support when the band wheel support is pivoted on the hook means.

3. The mounting bracket of claim 1 in which the guide member is U-shaped with its free ends connected to the pivot means and a retainer spring is connected to the guide member and hooked over a portion of the band wheel support to maintain the guide member with the band wheel support in all positions of the band wheel support from operating position to nonoperating position.

4. The mounting bracket of claim 1 in which the mounting bracket, the hook means, the second means, and the third means are formed integral with each other from a single sheet of metal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,148,178 7/1915 McCabe et al 112-217.1 1,275,059 8/1918 McCabe 112-2171 2,348,043 5/1944 Webb et al. 1122l7.1 X 3,298,752 1/1967 Milan 112-217.1 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 338,048 ll/ 1930 Great Britain.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

J. F FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

